Head & Shoulders, which is Major League Baseball's official shampoo, wants consumers to know that a healthy head of hair can actually influence athletic performance, and its using MLB All Star players to prove it in its latest 'Mane Man Challenge.' The Mane Man Challenge is a campaign that promotes the brand's Active Sport shampoo and features pro athletes Nick Swisher, Dennis Eckersley and Ivan Rodriguez participating in virtual competitions to become the 'Mane Man.'
Joe Mauer, catcher for the Minnesota Twins, is the current Mane Man, and his goal is to see if the other three players display good baseball skills -- such as being able to bounce a ball numerous times on a baseball bat -- in addition to excellent hair. The campaign also includes a social media element on Facebook, in which fans can vote for their favorite player. Here, fans can also attempt the same challenges and upload videos of them trying to do so. According to Popsop, Head & Shoulders will choose a contestant to appear in an online video with the MLB player who wins the Mane Man Challenge.
Why This Trend Is Growing
- Hair-influenced Performance
- Opportunity for brands to explore the connection between personal grooming and athletic performance.
- Virtual Competitions
- Potential for brands to leverage virtual competitions for engaging marketing campaigns.
- Fan-generated Content
- Brands can involve their fans by encouraging them to participate in challenges and create user-generated content.
Industries Being Reshaped
- Personal Care
- Disruptive innovation opportunity for personal care brands to develop products that enhance athletic performance through hair care.
- Sports Marketing
- Opportunity for sports marketing agencies to leverage virtual competitions as a unique promotional tool.
- Social Media
- Brands can explore opportunities to engage fans on social media platforms through interactive campaigns and user-generated content.
